Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:
Marvel Comics has announced that best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates is set to write a revival of the Black Panther series of comic books. The first book is set for a Spring 2016 release. Coates’s latest book, Between the World and Me, is longlisted for the National Book Award in nonfiction. (Guardian)
A fund-raising campaign led by the William Blake Society has successfully saved the West Sussex, England, home of the Romantic poet. The cottage went on the market in 2013, and thanks to the Blake Society’s fund-raising efforts—backed by author Philip Pullman and celebrities including Stephen Fry and Russell Brand—the home will remain in the care of the Blake Cottage Trust. (Telegraph)
The National Book Foundation announced this morning that best-selling novelist James Patterson is to receive the 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. The lifetime achievement award recognizes Patterson’s literary contributions over the years: “For the past decade, Patterson has been a passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority…. Patterson has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships with the purpose of encouraging Americans of all ages to read more books.”
Rejoice: Print is far from dead. The New York Times reports on the recent slowdown of e-book sales this year, and suggests that “publishing, while not immune to technological upheaval, will weather the tidal wave of digital technology better than other forms of media, like music and television.”
Women celebrity memoirs tend to get hefty advances, and comedian Amy Schumer’s new deal is no exception. Schumer has reportedly inked a book deal worth between $8 and $10 million. (Entertainment Weekly)
Looking for an “illustrious” new literary journal? Vogue profiles the forthcoming biannual publication Freemans, a project from former Granta editor in chief and National Book Critics Circle president John Freeman. The first issue, which will be released September 28, features work by literary heavyweights including Anne Carson, Honor Moore, Dave Eggers, and Haruki Murakami.
It appears that the Scots have beaten the Inuits in the “highest number of words for snow” contest. Researchers at the University of Glasgow compiling the first Historical Thesaurus of Scots have revealed a whopping 421 words for the white stuff, from “feefle” to “snaw-ghast.” (Independent)
